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Author : Sergey Ryabkov
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation
The most important thing for us is the continued
strengthening - and I mean it - of Russia's positions
on the international arena, in spite of all the at-
tempts to portray the situation as if Russia is in iso-
lation, all alone. Nothing could be further from the
truth. We are relevant, we are influential and we are
respected everywhere.
In April, Russia's BRICS presidency got off to a
flying start. Within two and a half months, a num-
ber of major BRICS related events took place in
Russia. Furthermore, a major nonproliferation forum took place, a review conference in New
York from late April until late May.
The sanctions that the U.S. introduced against us last year are arranged so that they do not hinder
the more or less normal development of trade.
Incidentally, addressing another aspect of our relations with the US, we recently published a
commentary on the State Department's report on the implementation of international treaties.
Some people, who see the situation in our relations as difficult, perhaps artificially politicized
and affected by leftover phobias, will say that this document, our commentary was made on the
"you are another fool" or "you lynch Negroes" principle. This, however, is a primitive view of
what is going on. For a normal dialogue to develop and for countries to communicate and achieve
results, it is impossible always to agree with one another. Thesis and antithesis produce synthesis.
Natural discourse - call it what you will - consists in that a country upholds its views but at the
same time listens to what its opponents have to say. This is precisely how Russia acts.
Unfortunately, it is difficult for the Americans to have a debate or simply dialogue about the U.S.
"exclusiveness," messianism, its vision of its role, questions such as why the country's image that
has evolved there over decades and centuries is that of "a city upon a hill" or "a beacon of
democracy" that lights up everything around it.
What is happening in our relations with the European Union is a separate question. I think that
the sanction scheme that is being used against Russia on the U.S. initiative contains approaches
and mechanisms that are hurting Europeans, European economic operators more than they are
hurting U.S. operators.
The BRICS political segment is developing. Over the past several weeks alone, a series of con-
sultations on space security and the Middle East took place in Moscow. A meeting of high-level
BRICS representatives for security issues took place in Moscow. All of these topics are discussed
in a friendly, collective spirit without any attempts to impose decisions or artificially accelerate
this process.
"We Are Relevant, Influential and Respected"